Scent Diary: 15.1 – 21.1.2018

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Portia

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Hey there APJ,

This week was supposed to be about organising and catching up on life, business and the blog but somewhere along the line it all got turned to fragrance & fun. I do try to focus but some weeks my head is on another planet. Oh well, I smelled freaking fabulous!

Scent Diary

Scent Diary: 15.1 – 21.1.2018

Monday 15:

SOTBedtime: Annick Goutal Songes.

Woke up and immediately came to the computer to reply to comments. I had been slack while away in Adelaide so there was a 3 hour game of catch up. Thank you to everyone who comments, I love the involvement of our readers and finding out what you are wearing, doing and thinking.

Gave myself an extra healthy spritzing of Guerlain Shalimar Cologne. NOT Shalimar EdC, this is a horse of a different colour. It took me a while to come around to this one but now I like it a lot. It’s not Shalimar but has decided remnants of the pure stuff. An excellent sidestep for summer.

Lunch with my BFF Kath. Great start to the week. We chattered so much I bloody forgot to take a pic.

Went straight from there to collect the dogs back from the trainer. They were pretty happy to see me. I think they are also glad to be in the cool of our balcony as opposed to their stinking hot kennels.

Jin came home this evening and cooked us Beef Bulgogi, it was extra spicy today and came with shallots, onions and rice. Delicious. This photo does not do it justice in any way, shape or form.

Then Trivia Q&A.

For something different I decided to spritz some Neela Vermeire Creations Ashoka tonight, that figgy woods was exactly what I craved.

Tuesday 16:

SHIT! It’s nearly 5am. Finished Trivia Q&A, got some blog edited in and spritzing Niki de Saint Phalle for bed. NIGHT!

Scott is here, we are getting so much office work and perfume sending stuff done. AMAZING! Wearing Oliver & Co Ambergreen. Freaky & Fabulous.

After my bath and getting ready for work Le Galion Sang Blue got the spritzes. Airy lavender and stuff, very old fashioned masculine done in a modern, drier style. I’d love to smell this on a couple of my gal pals. It was perfect for work.

Sadly my face was less than perfect but we had a good time.

Came home and tried to concentrate on blog stuff but couldn’t so I watch San Andreas from 2015 with The Rock and Kylie Minogue. It was a fun disaster romp but kinda terrible. Kylie has a VERY short scene (which she nails).

SOTBed Lolita Lempicka EdP. LOADS of it.

Wednesday 17:

Up early and gave myself a few good spritzes of Guerlain Shalimar EdP to walk the dogs.

I keep thinking about this amazing sculpture/artwork we saw in the South Australia Art Gallery. Something about it moved me but I’m not quite sure what.

Went to town, on the bus and train all I could smell was my gorgeous self and I worried if I may have been TOO fragrant. Had to visit the Accountant to sign off my 2017 stuff. All seems OK for the moment. He’s a good guy and I know he’s working hard to keep it legit. He has the BEST biros for signing your life away.

Came home and had this weird craving for milk. Drank three big glasses before my body was satisfied. Now I’m drinking water to help process it.

Started watching Heroes, the TV series. People had been saying how good it was but I resisted. It IS good. I am hooked.

Heroes Season 1 IMDbIMDb

Quickly rushed to leave in time because I was watching TV so a triple spritz of Atelier Cologne Tobacco Nuit, mainly because it was at hand. Was a perfect accompaniment to the evening.

Dinner with Eve, Lola, Lee and Mum Chaloner over at Queenscliff. Great evening, loads of catching up to do, stories, memories, fun. I was sad to leave and could have stayed all night. There’s no pic because I bloody forgot. Sorry all.

MORE Heroes

Thursday 18:

Woke up feeling groggy. Not sure what’s going on but I’m not 100%. Jin brought the dogs in to wake me up. They did NOT want to get back down off the bed once I was up though.

What wear on an off day? Cacharel Liberté is a fun choice. That sizzling orange gave me an excellent boost. What a shame it’s almost impossible to find anymore, I love it so much.

Jin is home today and we pottered around the house. It was a lovely low key hang out day. Heaven.

I did do some blog writing so my arms are a melange of scents now.  Quite deliciously fragrant.

Tonight Jin took me out for dinner to a TERRIBLE all-you-can-eat Yum Cha. O M G it was real bottom of the barrel stuff and we had to drive an hour each way, to and from. AWFUL! It’s so rare he makes a bad choice that we laughed it off. Anyway, the reason we made a big fuss about going out was that we are starting The Barefoot Investor together. We opened four of our 5 accounts tonight and as soon as they are up and running we’ll take the next step. We have booked in 5 weekly date nights ahead too.

Watched more Heroes. SO good.

SOTBed: Vintage Nina Ricci Nina

Nina Ricci Nina

Friday 19:

Up early to feed an walk the dogs.

One of my best friends lost his Mum this week. Today is the funeral. Kath and I are going to show support and make sure he knows we are there for him. Having grown out of my suit a couple of years ago it will be dress pants, 1990s Gucci shoes, French cuffed shirt with my Dad’s cufflinks and my Hermès tie. It’s not really up to scratch but I will look nice and respectful. Wore vintage Miss Dior Parfum but should have gone with an incense.

The service was beautiful. I’ve never been to a Lebanese funeral and it was in Arabic but had video screens with the English on it so we could follow. Afterwards the close family went to the interment. When they came back we all were under the church in the cool meeting hall below. First there was a prayer by the priest and the two sons gave a moving speech that had tears running down my face in silent tribute.

Then we ate the most fabulous catered buffet meal. Seriously, it was extravagant in the extreme. It then became chat time so my BFFs friends all sat around him talking about everything, laughing, watching the slide show and generally buoying him up as much as we could. Now the real grieving starts.

Picked Alice up from a minor day surgery and we hung out at our place till Kath arrived and we all had dinner together and sat around the table chatting. The girls didn’t stay very late and after they left Jin and I watched Mazerunner: The Scorch Trials. It was OK, a bit plotless but I liked it well enough.

SOTBed Mona di Orio Eau Absolue, it’s soft balmy goodness a lovely foil to my sadness.

Saturday 20:

Lazy sleep in. Jin got up and fed & walked the dogs. Then he brought them in for a wake up call. We lay around the bed for another half hour before I surfaced. Heavenly way to come out of a deep sleep.

TinaG came over for tea and sniffs that ended up being lunch and Mojitos as well. It was wonderful sitting around the table chatting and laughing. Teone Reinthall sent a package for some Giveaways in the near future and we applied Botticelli and Wan Chai; both really lovely, interesting, deep and faceted perfumes. They had real story progression and even an hour after application we were still swooning about them. Being naturals the expectation  is to lack of longevity but these two end on and on smelling fabulous.

After lunch Jin handed TinaG and I these Red Velvet Magnum Ice Creams. O M F G! Nearly died, amazing.

Jin and I spent the day hanging out mostly. Watching more of Heroes, eating junk food and drinking bucketloads of tea.

SOTBed: Divine EdP. YUM! From my refillable 30ml Travel spray. So freaking glam.

Sunday 21:

It’s hot and sweaty here in Parramatta. Dreading becoming a lovely lady tonight, it’s going to be massively uncomfortable.

The dogs loved their morning walk today and I was wearing Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess which was a perfect fit. Creamy white floral coconut and some woods. So tropical.

Saw this today and it struck a chord.

 

 

It’s YOUR turn. What’s happening in your world?

Did you do anything Fun or Fragrant, with Friends and Family or maybe even had some less than Fabulous news you want to share? How is or was your New Year?
Now’s the time, in the comments below.
We love to read what’s happening to YOU.
Portia xx

56 thoughts on “Scent Diary: 15.1 – 21.1.2018”

  1. Isn’t it nice lolling around with dogs on the bed in the morning! Ours like to come up too.
    Perfume wise it has been a bit lavender around here…Aberdeen Lavander by Creed, and Vero Perfume Kiki which I need to be in a tolerant mood to wear. It’s challenging.
    Am in bed early with Lush Twilight body cream (lavenderish) as I have to be at hospital early to get five, 5, cinq, skin cancers chopped out of me. Aaargh.
    Ok, I’m fine!

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  2. Save the cheerleader, save the world!
    (Loved that first season, but the follow ups less so. It didn’t fare well during the writers’ strike.)

    We have mostly been planning adventures. The past few years we’ve been a bit stuck–either from lack of money, lack of walking ability, or with caring responsibilities that meant we couldn’t go anywhere. But this year is a big birthday (50!), a big wedding anniversary (20!), and we’ll have some money for travel (left to me by my father).

    So, it’s time. First up: a long weekend in Florence in a couple of months. And then we’ll take the long way home by train, through the Alps to Zürich, and then on for a brief stop in Paris.

    And later in the year, if all goes well, we’ll take a journey I’ve been wanting to do since, oh, forever. I almost went in 1990, but medical things got in the way. But: TRANS-SIBERIAN, baby. (Or rather, trans-mongolian.) We’re at the delicious planning stage now, looking at all the possibilities. SO exciting. If we can wangle the visas–and it might not be possible–we can walk from home to the station… and then go all the way to Beijing.

    This week, however, was an abomination of rubbish British trains. Seven hours, and I ended up getting nowhere, and completely wasting my day off work. Pretty snow views, though. The borders and the lake district were spectacular.

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    • happy 50th, crikey!!! ..always remember that 50 is the new 30 🙂 Sounds like you have planned out a lovely adventure!

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    • Hey Crikey,
      1968 baby here too! We also were planning the Trans-Siberian in October but have decided to buy a house instead. Can’t wait to read about your adventure.
      I’ll be in Paris for a couple of weeks April/May, wouldn’t it be sensational to meet?
      Congratulations on 20 years. that is amazing.
      Portia xx

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      • There’s a fine crop of fifties coming up, huh?!

        Ack, I’ll be there a month before you, so, not quite ships crossing in the night. I’m only there for a day or so on the way back at the end of March, but Snarl’s staying on a few days (he has *so* much annual leave to use up by then, and the man deserves a good break, and some time to himself just mooching about.)

        …but, October looks like the time for the trans-sib. it would have been this summer, for my brithday, but OMG the temperatures in Mongolia then are terrifying! I so hope I get to do that this time. A house is an excellent adventure, though. And if I was more sensible, I’d put this money toward the mortgage. But life is short, and the world is big.

        I can’t quite believe that TWENTY years have gone by. Someone’s been messing with time.

        xx

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      • I love to hear that 🙂

        A couple of slots to the side in the zodiac, over in Leo land… i LOVE planning travel adventures. (We’ve done some amazing travel in the past. I’m so lucky!)

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    • Oh do go on the trans-Mongolian, can’t tell you how much we enjoyed it last year, Beijing to Moscow. Mongolia The highlight. Aussie company Intrepid was marvellous.

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      • Oh, may I pick your brains about this as we do more planning? (I’d love to hear more about your experiences, and any tips… we’ll be going independently, and west to east. most of the tales I’ve heard from the journey are from yonks ago)

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  3. Portia, it’s great to read about your week! So sad about your friend, though, it’s something everyone is dreading of.

    I got a vintage l’Air du temps just like yours yesterday! It’s my first encounter with this perfume, I understand why it hasn’t lost its appeal through all these years!

    I’ve been to the cinema four times this week, and watched a few at home. Ghost in a shell with Scarlet was a disappointment. I’m yet to see the original one.

    Finished the Good Wife & the first season of the Good Fight. The 6th and the 7th seasons of GW were not all that, but the spinoff is so unmemorable and helpless! A complete let-down IMO.

    As for the fragrances, for these past few days I’m trying to figure out if I should buy one of the following: Rose Poivree, Gomma or Cuir de Lancome (a backup bottle). I’ve never tried Gomma but it sounds like something I would like (or not, if there’s too much artemisia). A-a-ah!..

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    • is the Good Fight a spin off of the Good Wife? I rather enjoyed the Good Wife…spent the entire summer watching the entire series much to the chagrin of my hubs (“this show AGAIN???”)

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      • Yes, it’s focused on Diane Lockhart, Luca Quinn and the newcomer Maya as the main characters. I’m planning to rewatch at least the first season of the Good Wife someday soon (I have a crush on Will Gardner, lol).

        I forgot to mention: the 2nd season of American Crime Story has started. I’m glad to say that the show hasn’t lost its bite. Penelope Cruz is amazing as Donatella Versace, and Ricky Martin’s acting skills aren’t half bad, either.

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    • Hey Diana,
      OMG! I loved the Good Wife, only watched it this holiday season for the first time. I could have watched 5 more seasons. Didn’t move onto the Good Fight because I felt Diane Lockhart was the culture creator in GW and was totally shitted off with her for being angry at the end. It felt so hypocritical. They should have made the new one about the young gun lawyer man, THAT I would have watched.
      Get a sample of Gomma. I found Rose Poivree a super soft let down, but it might be fabulous on you.
      Portia xx

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      • Yes, Portia, my thoughts exactly! Diane has always been the epitome of cool no matter how terrible the things were, and then there was this slap. It made the ending so ambiguous and unfair towards the characters.

        Thanks for the advice, if I don’t take a chance on that bottle I’ve been eyeballing, I’ll go for a sample 🙂

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  4. Portia, that quote was written for me-LOL! Since hitting the half century mark a few years ago I have come to a standstill….I just want to be a sloth or a bear hibernating in my bed! I prefer the peace and quiet of my home (as long as there is lots of food and lots of tea!!!)

    and speaking of food- those Magnum bars sound delicious! I always love the inclusion of food pictures in your scent diary!

    Scent wise- I am still in my version of commando which means I haven’t been spritzing but rather wearing essential oils and oil based fragrances for the past two weeks. Started when I was sick and I just sort of continued on with it. I am enjoying the intimacy of the oils and also putting a dent in my oil collection….I may carryon with this for another week…

    and finally, today, smelled remnants of WOOD INFUSION on my jacket when I went out…Lord, that is great stuff!!! It reminds me a bit of Jo Malone Orange Bitters in the drydown…they are both fantastic citruses with an odd little twist…an unusual note that I can’t put my finger on but I love it cause it makes Wood Infusion unique and quirky (just like me..hee hee)…gotta say that there are some pretty talented perfumers coming out of OZ!!

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    • Oh and YES, Heroes!!! Great show! I am also going to recommend to you LOST…YOU MUST WATCH THAT SHOW……it is my favorite show of ALL TIME !!!!!

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  5. Love the vintage bottle of Nina Ricci, the Divine travel spray and that quote! That is so me. Like chocolatemarzipan, I have become a slothful hermit since I turned 50. I do go to yoga class every weekday but other than that, no promises. It is good to spend so much time with my dogs though, one turns 12 today and the other will be 11 on April 1st, so they are getting up there in years. You never know how long you have together so I am taking advantage while I can.

    Last week was vanilla fest on NST so I wore lots of my extensive vanilla collection.

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  6. I want that magnum bar!! I’m doing a sugar detox right now – 7 more days! – seeing amazing treats is hard! My son turned 14 yesterday but having the family dinner tonight. Crikey, I turn 50 this year also- we are planning a trip to England and France for the summer. My son hasn’t been outside of the US or Canada yet so he’s pretty excited – at least as excited as a teenage boy will be. Best wishes for minor surgeries, getting over illness and general well being this week!

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    • Tell me more about this sugar detox…I think I need to do one too…the problem with having a very high metabolism (I can eat four slices of pizza for dinner on a regular basis and NOT gain an ounce) is that one can eat what one wants…which isn’t always good….I also need to ween myself off of caffeine…..

      Will you be buying any perfume in France 😉 ???

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      • The 21 Day Sugar Detox – Diane Sanfilippo. I have done it twice before and have stayed off sugar for months after— just have to figure out how to permanently moderate. My husband already knows there will be perfume time built into the schedule in Paris!

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  7. You amaze me, Portia! These werks when you say not much got done, I think you’ve done loads. Especially for other people. You keep Scott and your accountant in work. You picked up your mate from day surgery and helped her laugh. You supported your mate through a very rough day and helped to buoy him up. You went to work in make up I’d never be able to wear to make people feel good for a few hours. You typed away for hours at a keyboard to engage with US! That is massive! All for us… Thank you.

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  8. Oh! Been doing a ‘My Name is Earl’ marathon Portia-style. A few weeks back, it was ‘Flight of the Conchords’. The one before that was ‘Vicar of Dibley’. Not bad for a non-TV watcher.

    Seems 2018 is the year of travel. Sooooo exciting for you all. I hope we get to see pictures, if you are up to it. And loads of stories please!

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  9. Oh Portia, i bet you always smell freakin’ fabulous!
    I’m back home after some house sitting, funeral for me to attend too last week. I should be the best tennis player ever as I’ve watched heaps on tv. Ordered up some more scents to try with STC and then thought it only fair to take advantage of discounts on 5mls at the Decant shop.
    Struggling a bit to pick the right scent to wear in this current heat. Found a new online perfume site based in Oz with some good prices (IMO) are they too good to be true – waiting for my order to show and i’ll see… parcel includes my first ever try of Niki St Phalle (thanks to APJ) – cant wait to try it. they also have some Guerlain Vol de Nuit – so deciding if i need some!
    thanks for sharing you week Portia xo

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      • Hi Saffyishere, Decant shop is like Lucky Scent and Surrender to Chance. Shipping to Oz seems about $20. Ive only ordered 7-8 samples at a time so not sure if pricing gets better if you order more. I pay $10 postages on an Australian sample site so to me 20 bucks not so bad to get hold of perfume i cant find here. Their site is easy to use – takes about 2 weeks to get here 🙂

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  10. Thanks again for your scent diary. My Adelaide based 89 year old mum died last Tuesday. a slow but peaceful death. All seven of the offspring arrived from all over for the Friday funeral, traditional Catholic in an un air-conditioned church in 45 degrees heat! I gave the eulogy and was part of mum’s seven pall bearer children. I nearly fell into the grave as the blast furnace heat got to me! LOL. Wore Givenchy III.

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      • Thank you Saffy. Stella was a lily of the valley fan but of the mindset that fragrance was for big occasions or ‘good.’ She then wore Diorissimo. By the way, I was wafting EAU de Givenchy at her funeral. Three is wonderful, but for cooler weather 🙂

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  11. My week was my 29th Wedding anniversary and also my day surgery Biopsy for DCS! lol Hoping for good results for both!!

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  12. Love catching up on your week, Portia.
    Mojitos with Tina G! Aah, nice.
    I was thinking of re-watching the first season of Heroes. I have it bad for Milo Ventimiglia. *Sigh*
    I’m wearing Passage d’Enfer today to deal with the grim Monday-ness of it all.

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    • Hi APJ’s! Today was cold, drizzly, and dreary here, but I feel like I “cracked” Jardin sur Le Nil. I just had been so dissatisfied. And didn’t understand why I didn’t love it. I love First, and Rhumba which are Jean Claude Ellena’s older more Baroque perfumes, why can’t I get his new “minimalist” ones? Well I think I’ve been trying to wear it in summer and that was the wrong idea. Maybe because it’s such an abstraction it really is like summer in a bottle. It cheered me and agressively brought a smile to my face repeatedly. Lesson learned for me!
      I love reading all the things you all post here! Thanks for creating this space. About three people I know are willing to talk about perfume with me. 😂

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